German ambassador: 'It's not a coincidence that so many Israelis are considering moving abroad'

Sep 22, 2025

Steffen Seibert, the German ambassador to Israel and former government spokesperson, shares insights on the evolving dynamics between Germany and Israel, particularly post-Gaza war. He expresses concerns over rising antisemitism across Europe and the mounting exhaustion in Israel's society. Seibert emphasizes Germany’s critical stance on war escalation while reiterating unwavering friendship towards Israel. He also discusses democratic principles, drawing contrasts between German and American approaches to free speech and the importance of democratic guardrails in turbulent times.

Ask episode

AI Snips

Chapters

Transcript

Episode notes

ANECDOTE

Personal Bonding In Israel

Steffen Seibert describes arriving in Israel in July 2022 and immediately feeling at home with new friendships across communities.
He emphasizes personal bonds with both Jewish and Arab Israelis that shaped his attachment to the country.

INSIGHT

Concerns About Israel's Direction

Seibert warns he is "not optimistic" about Israel if current political directions continue, citing exhaustion and war weariness.
He links Germany's opposition to war escalation with concern for hostages and the need for ceasefire-based releases.

ANECDOTE

Hebrew Spoken In Fear In Berlin

Seibert recounts a Berlin bus-stop encounter where an Israeli tourist feared speaking Hebrew publicly.
He frames that fear as a troubling sign and something Europeans must prevent becoming normal.

Get the Snipd Podcast app to discover more snips from this episode

Get the app

In a special guest episode of the Haaretz Podcast, German ambassador Steffen Seibert sits down with Guy Rolnik and Anat Georgy, co-hosts of “The Markers” – the Hebrew-language podcast of Haaretz’s sister publication, The Marker.

In the interview, Seibert addressed the increasingly complicated relationship between the two countries since the Gaza war and said he was “not optimistic” about Israel’s future if its government continues in its current direction.

“My country is very clearly against the extension and escalation of the war," Seibert said.

At the same time, he expressed both affection and sympathy for the “exhausted” citizens of the Jewish state and concerns about growing antisemitism across Europe.

“It's a difficult time to be an Israeli. The idea that when you go abroad as a tourist, you have to worry about your personal safety, and you have to worry if it's okay to speak Hebrew in the street – this is horrible, and it is a challenge to all of us Europeans to make sure that that doesn't become the new reality forever.”

Rolnik and Georgy also engaged in an in-depth exchange with Seibert on the nature of German democracy and what Israel might learn from it as it wrestles with the judicial reform crisis and when free speech crosses the line and becomes incitement.

Ultimately, he said, despite Germany’s “serious disagreements” regarding both Gaza and the occupation of the West Bank, “the fact remains that we consider ourselves forever friends of Israel and supporters of the right of Israel to be here, to be safe and to have this Jewish and democratic state. This is not a fashion in German politics. This is one of the pillars of our political identity.”

Germany Will Not Join Western Allies in Recognizing Palestine, Chancellor Merz Says

'Some Artists Blur Their Identity,' as the World Turns a Deaf Ear to Israeli Musicians

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.